I am the Wind
by Aile Anna
Summary: An angsty oneshot dedicated to Kagura and her death.


**A/N:** This is a major manga spoiler for those who do not read Shounen Sunday or scanilations. Originally, I had planned to release this one shot before this event actually happened - as I kind of thought Kagura would not live to the end of the manga. I started it but then flow of ideas stopped coming. Finally when I start getting new ideas for this – chapter 374 was released. For those of you who read that chapter – I originally did not copy parts of this from the manga. I actually began this ficlet over a month or so ago, I was very disappointed and yet thrilled to see that how I envisioned her death was extremely close to how Takahashi-sama did it. I did change some of what I had to match the manga chapter. Originally, I had Kagura dying with Naraku, him taking her heart with him, but it lacked so badly, and seeing the manga, I thought except for a few things – it had to be that way. Ah well, enjoy it minna.

A farewell to Kagura, I adored her character and though I knew she would not live, it still saddened me to see her die.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Takahashi characters.

I Am the Wind 

Slender, silken fingers of ebon black danced upon the breeze as she soared high above the earth, the edges of her kimono fluttering in sync to the loose strands of her wildly flaying hair. Glistening orbs of scarlet gleamed in ecstasy before shutting out the light of the mid day sun, but it only enhanced the euphoric glow emanating from the wind demon.

This was her precious treasure - her soaring with the wind as one as it swept across the lands in a freedom she prayed she would someday have. "Kagura." The sudden appearance of Nararku broke the spell she had been enchanted by as her eyes snapped wide to glare at the dark youkai before her.

Scarlet flamed orbs, pools of liquid fire lost in surprised shock, glared at the creature with total disgust and wonder. Naraku, even now she feared him, feared what he could do to her. "Seems you are the one who killed Hakudoushi, Naraku." Lazy words laced with contempt rolled from her tongue in ease, but inside the wind witch felt her body tremble in fear.

The hanyou's wicked laugh filled the now stilled air, his black eyes void of emotion as he looked at his rebellious detachment. Seemed to him, all his detachments were rebellious, minus Kanna of course. That strange girl never expressed herself, always following his orders without hesitation- something odd in itself. Perhaps she too would betray him someday. But that was something for him to think on and deal with when and if the time came. Here and now, it was Kagura who needed to be shown what his true power was. "I'll give you your heart, Kagura. If that is what you want." A sly grin split his malicious face as his jet orbs bore into her.

"Nani?!" His offer threw her off balance, surprising her and yet, glaring at her creator, she knew something evil was going through his dark mind. "You would give me back my heart?" There had to be more to this than it seemed. After all, this was Naraku, the evil hanyou who thrived on others pain. He was the darkness that loomed over the world waiting for his moment to strike, a snake desiring the taste of power and mankind. Did she not just bear witness to his sinister ways? True, Hakudoushi and that thing Mouryoumaru he had created betrayed Naraku. They tried to replace him with their own dark selves, and now Hakudoushi was dead. She had always despised that brat but his betrayal and sudden death, though they pleased her, had also made her more aware of her own imminent death.

A sudden pulse shot through her, a heartbeat that shook her to her very core. One then another until a short thrum in her chest took rhythm. Wide eyes looked up, fear and wonder trembling in their ruby depths as they latched onto the smirking demon before her. "My…my…heart?" Delicate hands clutched at her chest, feeling with joy the beat that pounded there. Why? Why was he doing this? And then the answer came….

Again his wicked laughter filled the air as his body struck out, several tentacles like appendages deathly sharp striking out at the kaze youkai. Thrusting her body back and nearly knocking her off the feather she sat high above the earth on, dark vaporous mist began to fill her before the appendages retracted back within Naraku's body. "Don't worry…" his lustful words were engorged with his power as Naraku fed hungrily on Kagura's pain wracked body, "I missed your vital heart." Before he disappeared, Naraku spoke his final words to his rebellious daughter, "You will have your freedom," The coldness of his voice chilled her as she fought for breath, "And all the pain and suffering along with it. You will know despair before you die."

She didn't see him leave, never noticed when that wretched creature had gone, she only knew the pain that filled her. Astute loneliness, sorrow, pain, despair. As she fled the skies to land quietly in an open field, tears glistened in her eyes. So this was what it was to be free. No…this isn't freedom, this was death. A lonely death bare of those she cared about. And regrets…her mind flashing back to the past few days, she thought of what it was she regretted.

"I would have saved Kohaku's life anyway." A bitter smile crept over her pale features. He had been a brat, but she had grown fond of the boy. She had seen in him the true face of courage in the boy. For that she had gained respect and fondness of him. Even knowing he might die, the young taijiya still plotted to destroy Naraku. "I would have helped him in the end….if I could." Twisting through her the beast called pain wracked her chest and she coughed spasmodically before she could once again fill her dying lungs with air.

"That hanyou....he's not so bad for a half bred fool." she had been more surprised by Inuyasha's conviction to help her free herself from Naraku than it had been finding out Kohaku planned against Naraku. "I don't..." The words were lost on another spasm as she gasped and choked for air. Kagura was dying, but she refused to go yet, she refused to let loose of the living world - and those she had gained respect for. She had to wait...to hold on...and hope they came. She did not want to die alone.

The scent in the wind tickled his nose and the youkai lord found himself assaulted by a smell he knew all too well...Naraku. But this wasn't Naraku....no, this was her, the wind witch laced with the stink of Naraku's shouki and death. "Jaken!" His stern voice bellowed as he turned to follow the aroma of Kagura. Something was wrong, he knew if only by the taste in the air that she would not be in the living world much longer. Though, why he would bother with her he could not fathom. And yet, something inside him told him go, to be with her in her dying moment. Perhaps it was the least the youkai lord could do for the help she had given him in the past....perhaps it was something more.

"Sesshoumaru-Sama?!" Jaken's squeaky voice asked as the hideous toad like creature and Rin followed close behind the inu youkai. "What's wrong, Sesshoumaru-Sama?"

"Naraku." It was the only word he said as he continued his course to her, to Kagura.

Catching the foul stench of familiar smells mingled together in a concoction that boded ill, Inuyasha turned in the direction he and his companions had last seen Kagura. She had been heading off into the wind on that feather of hers. She was a comrade now, nakama banned together to destroy Naraku. "Blood!" He stopped in mid leap to turn back the way he had just come.

"Blood?" Kagome clung to his back, "Kagura?" Worry now filled her as everyone turned in the direction they had last been with Kagura. "She's not…" but she could not say the words that stuck like tacky glue in her throat.

"Kagura! Don't you die on us!" Inuyasha's voice boomed out as he and his companions raced off to help their new comrade. But he could already taste the stench of death in the air, the foul odor of Naraku's shouki mingled with her blood. _'Hang on, Kagura, we're coming…'_ echoed in his mind, he didn't want her to die alone, it was the least he could do for her saving Kohaku, for her betrayal of Naraku.

Delicate hands clutched together over the heart that now beat within her once empty breast. "It's there…" Even as the once strong beat now slowly began to fade, Kagura sat with wonder at how joyous it felt. "My heart…it's beating." Moisture shimmered in her eyes, but she refused to let the tears fall. She was the wind, proud and free, she would never show tears. Even in death, she would be strong and face it head on. Even in death, she would not show weakness to that foul bastard who had given birth to her. Kagura was better than that, better than him…she was not a dirty hanyou pieced together from various youkai…no, she was the wind that brushed across the earth with its sweet breath. She was the wind, with all its fury and gentleness, its strength and soft weakness, she was all that and more.

A familiar presence hovered over her, and she turned her scarlet eyes upward, only to gaze upon the one she hoped most would come. "Sesshoumaru…" his name slid smoothly from her tongue, even now in this state of disrepair, she could not speak his name without the awe and respect it demanded.

Looking down at the once proud woman sitting, shoulders slumped, on the grassy plain, Sesshoumaru watched her, "I smelled Naraku." Was all he could say, to see her like this was a shock, though his aloof eyes showed no signs of his feelings. Emotions seemed to always escape him, after all, he was Sesshoumaru, son of a daiyoukai, full blooded demon heir of Inu no Taishou. What were emotions to him but a hindrance. It was beneath him to show outwardly what he felt or thought, to lower himself to the undisciplined ways humans often displayed themselves. And yet, standing there, his eyes trailing over the beautiful woman before him, he could not help but feel a slight loss. She had shown great courage and pride in her actions, even though she knew it could cause her death. Pity, she had to die at the hands of that bastard who created her.

Her soft voice, filled with a sorrow she was not familiar with, nearly laughed in its reply, "You'll be disappointed. It's just me." This was more than she had hoped for, to have him here. To have this beautiful and proud demon lord present at her death gave her lowly beating heart new vigor as it thrummed with renewed strength. If only for a few precious moments, her heart gained strength before once again wavering to a dull, slow beat.

His amber gold eyes ever so faintly softened, "I knew it was you." As he spoke, his hand gripped the hilt of Tenseiga , but the sword of the dead would not move for him. No hint that it could save the kaze youkai emanated from the weapon. Still and calm, Tenseiga sat at his hip. _'Tenseiga cannot save her.'_ But he knew this was a possibility when he came here. Perhaps because she was Naraku's detachment, or that it was truly her time to die, he did not know, only that Tenseiga would not give back this life taken by that scum hanyou. Inside, it angered him, not because it was Kagura that had fallen victim to Naraku this time, but because that cocky hanyou was a plague that refused to die, spreading his poison to infect and destroy everything he touched. He would kill him, he would send that vile creature to hell and free his domains and the world of such filth.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha jumped effortlessly to land beside Kagura. His eyes strayed from his half brother to the wind witch. She was fading, he could just make out the faint thudding of her heart and his eyes widened. That bastard, Naraku. He had given back her heart, only to kill her. Kagome climbed down from his back with Shippou perched on her shoulder, as Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku dismounted Kirara. "Kagura…"

_'It's not fair!'_ Kagome's heart cried as her hazel eyes burned with unshed tears. _'We just became friends, we haven't gotten to know each other.'_ Kagome's kind heart was happy when Kagura saved Kohaku. She had known deep down inside that perhaps Kagura was not all bad. She was, like all of Naraku's detachments, a victim to him as much as everyone else was. A trembling hand gripped Inuyasha's shoulder tightly as Kagome sought out his strength, struggling to keep back her tears. Kagura wouldn't want sympathy.

"Kagura…" so faint was Kohaku's voice, he was certain no one heard him as her name fell silently from his dry lips. This was her payback for saving his life? No, she didn't deserve this. Soon after he began working with her, Kohaku knew she despised Naraku. It was she who told him the baby carried Naraku's heart. It was she who had saved him from certain death when Mouryoumaru sought his shikon no kakera. _'I'll avenge you, Kagura, I'll kill him and pay you back for what you did…'_ his mind reeled as guilt washed over him, perhaps if she had not saved his life…. _'I promise.'_

_'Thank you….thank you for Kohaku….thank you for helping.'_ Sango thought of the words she wanted to say, but it all seemed mute now. As she stood beside Miroku, her small hands, usually so strong, now clutched weakly to his robes. She couldn't bear to watch this, to see Kagura die senselessly after the kaze youkai had done so much for her…for Kohaku. As her chocolate eyes slid closed, she buried her face into the houshi's shoulder. This was one more death she would seek revenge for. As she felt Miroku's arm slip across her back, she moved closer to him, accepting his silent offering of comfort.

The youkai lord ignored his little brother and companions as his eyes remained on Kagura. Her body was beginning to glow as it slowly turned into minute particles of dust. "Are you going now?" His serene voice asked as her soul began to shine out, her body fading faster now as freedom called out to her.

"It's alright. At least I was…with you." A smile curved her lips as orbs of ruby met amber gold before turning away. Each face that surrounded her, her eyes traced their features, as if emblazing them to memory for all eternity. As she rested her gaze on Kahoku, her bitter smile split wider before her eyes once again strayed to Sesshoumaru. "I'm…free…."

The wind suddenly gusted over them, catching the sparkling dust cloud that had been Kagura's form, carrying it away. "The wind…" Tears spilled forth as Kagome felt the cooling breeze with awe, her constricted throat stifling the sobs she felt deep within her. Turning toward the wind, a sad smile curved the corners of her lips as she felt the gentle gust kiss her face, it's cooling breath caress her before moving on to blow across the valley toward the mountains.

As all eyes watched the grasses and trees sway with the breeze, a joyous laughter echoed out, it's voice filled with pleasure as it cried out, "I am the WIND! I AM….FREE!" As the sounds of laughter and Kagura's voice faded away, and the gusting winds ebbed, a single feather floated slowly to land on the ground at their feet. The last remnants of a fallen comrade…perhaps even a friend. A final marker to testify that a once proud and noble youkai found her freedom here, found that which she desired most – to become the wind.

**A/N:** The ending didn't come out quite like I envisioned it in my head, but there it is. I hope this farewell did her character justice. To those of you who have not read the manga, you can read this chapter on , she should have this chapter posted for another couple of weeks before taking it down. I truly hope everyone enjoyed this, and sorry if I made anyone cry. I know I did reading the chapter and writing this. She was a great character, and as the manga comes to a close – I can't help but wonder what other characters we shall be saying goodbye to. Ja minna, and once again, I truly hope you enjoyed this short farewell piece.

**FIY**: For those of you wondering what the hell is going on that Inuyasha tachi are now teamed up with Kagura, you can e-mail me and I will be glad to fill you in, or visit the website mentioned to catch up on the most recent 8 manga chapters, including 374: **Wind**.


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